New Ford Police Interceptors Start to Roll Off Assembly Line

The Taurus-based sedan Interceptor is accounting for about 60% of orders so far, with the rest going to the Explorer-based SUV. Both offer superior technology and performance compared with the aging Crown Vic they replace.

Ford traditionally has controlled about 70% of the U.S. police-car market, which fluctuates between 55,000 to 65,000 units annually depending on economic conditions, he says. But the auto maker faces stiff competition from General Motors and Chrysler entries.

Ford’s Crown Victoria, which ended production in August 2011, long reigned as the top-selling vehicle for police and emergency responders and remains in widespread use. The current model entered production in 1998 and the body-on-frame vehicle is beginning to show its age, Koss says.

“The Crown Victoria was the right vehicle for its time,” he says. “But this is an industry (where) they rely on their vehicles more than anything else, so the industry should have the peak of technology, and with Crown Victoria they weren’t getting the opportunity to have it.”

So far, the Interceptor sedan based on the Taurus is accounting for about 60% of orders, Koss says, with the rest going to the Explorer-based SUV. Both offer superior technology and performance, compared with the previous model, including straight-line performance.

The Crown Victoria is powered by a 4.6L V-8 producing 250 hp, while the new Interceptor sedan comes with either a 3.5L direct-injection turbocharged EcoBoost engine producing 365 hp or a normally aspirated 3.5L V-6 making 263 hp. The Explorer version offers only a normally aspirated V-6.

The two latest interceptors were engineered to offer similar rides despite their disparate proportions. Both are underpinned by Ford’s D3 fullsize platform.

“We brought in a number of police advisory board members, and one said if he was blindfolded he wouldn’t know if he was (driving) the sedan or utility,” Koss says.

When Ford announced in 2009 that the Crown Victoria would be discontinued, there was consternation among some police and emergency responders who had become attached to their aging workhorse sedan.

Ford’s follow-up announcement that the Crown Victoria would be replaced by all-wheel-drive Interceptor versions of the Taurus and Explorer brought more scrutiny, largely because neither was available in rear-wheel drive, which until then had been the industry standard.

Koss says Ford hosted a number of Interceptor events throughout the country to introduce the new models, and participants were impressed by their AWD capabilities. Plus, the new crop of police and emergency responders are not as attached to RWD as are seasoned veterans.

“Change is difficult in this industry, but this new breed (of responders) grew up with front- and all-wheel drive,” Koss says. “They didn’t learn how to drive with rear-wheel.”

Announcing the discontinuation of the Crown Victoria years in advance provided time for government agencies to stockpile their prized RWD sedans. Koss says Ford will continue to supply parts for the older model, noting some vehicles are yet to be delivered.

“Our dealers did great job,” he says. “They purposed a large number of Crown Vics to carry (responders) through that period of time when we were not producing (police cars). We still have some (units) on the ground, but it’s a low number.”

Ford expects to begin delivery of its new Interceptors in the next few weeks.

Related Resources

FIAT-CHRYSLER: What's Next?

Sales jumped 30.4% from 2012 to 2014 under Luca Napolitano as the Fiat subsidiary’s Fiat, Fiat Professional, Lancia, Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands registered more than 36,000 units and outperformed the market an average 12%....More

Without solid backing on Wall Street, FCA may have trouble securing favorable credit for the estimated €50 billion needed to reach aggressive volume targets set last May for the Chrysler, Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands....More

The classic image of a V-8 is big and thirsty. Engineers set out to dispel that notion by making the small-block Gen V engines extremely efficient. Along the way, some dynamometers also got toasted....More

WardsAuto Blogs

Singling out shareholders for a big payday is not being fair or responsible. The “old GM” spent billions buying back shares and kept doing so almost until it went bankrupt. Look how well that worked....More

A key issue in the aluminum-vs.-steel standoff is strength. Each side is playing the military and, by extension, the patriotism card. The message is that if it’s strong enough to protect soldiers in combat, then it’s strong enough, and safe enough, for you and everybody in your truck....More

During outgoing Honda President Ito's reign, the automaker made some major missteps, from the underwhelming '12 Civic, to the '10 Insight. He also failed to boost the volume and prestige of the Acura brand....More

Hot Topic

The announcement follows a 6-month government review that considered the best and safest ways to test automated vehicles that allow an individual to take control of the car if necessary. It also looked further ahead to the legal implications....More

Today’s auto-industry executives must connect Silicon Valley and Detroit, as well as address entirely new dimensions of safety concerns, such as how to protect their customers’ privacy and data....More

The supplier envisions connected vehicles carrying on never-ending digital conversations with IBM’s computer servers in Dallas about more than just the weather. Forgive my inability to process the vast implications....More

Fully automated driving can be expected in the decade after 2020. But Bosch already offers driver-assistance functions which represent important first steps, Bosch Americas chief Werner Struth says....More